Machine foe reclaiming piston packing



1,646,915 25 1927' J. c. KELLY MACHINE FOR RECLAIMING PISTON PACKING Filed June 18, 1926 2 Shgets-Sheet 1 2 192 O 5 7 J. c. KELLY MACHINE FOR RECLAIMING PISTON PACKING 2 Sheet s-S'neet 2 Filed June 18, 1926 Patented Oct. 25, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. KELLY, OF HUNTINGTON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEO. E. LUITD', OF HUNTINGTON, INDIANA.

MACHINE FOR RECLAIMING PISTON PACKING.

Application filed June 18, 1926.

One form of metallic packing embodies a plurality of packing rings which are placed side by side within a stuffing box. Some of the rings are tapered so as to enable the wear to 'be taken up merely by turning the gland follower the necessary degree. Among these is the King type of metallic packing, much used on locomotive piston rods. In such packing each ring comprises two substantially semi-circular sections having lap joint connec tions, while each joint is made with one section having a convex curvature and the other having a complementary shaped concave curvature. After rings of this construction have been taken up a certain amount, a fluid tight connection cannot be maintained.

Accordingly the practice has been to replace packing which apparently has not been worn to the greatest possible extent.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a method as well as an apparatus for truing up metallic packing rings, particularly those having an arcuate shaped lap joint and tapered bearing surface between adjacent rings. A further object is to make an apparatus which is simple in construction, and which enables an operator to adjust-the rings quickly for the resetting operation.

In carrying out my method, I recut or dress each arcuate shaped lap oint on each section, then bring the sectionstogether and compress the metal in a suitable forming mold, so as to reshape the Sections and then while holding it in the forming mold, bore it and turn it to the proper size. The dressing of the lap joint preferably is performedon each section of a ring independently of the cooperating section, while the compressing and turning operation is performed on the two cooperating sections as a unit.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a device embodying myinvention showing the operating parts in one position; Fig. 2

clamping d evice on a plane indicated by the line 55 in Fig. 2 Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views illustrating one of the clamping bars and the template respectively; and

is a similar view showing the parts in another Serial no. 116,889.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 88 in Fig. 1; i

For convenience I have shown the apparatus embodying my invention in connection with a bed plate 10 which is adapted to be attached to a work bench as by securing members 11. A lever 18 is illustrated as being pivotally mounted at 14 to the plate. This lever carries a cutter 15, which is fastened in any suitable manner to a carriage 16, which in turn is adapted to be adjusted longitudinally of the lever by a threaded spindle 17. The spindle may be rotated by means of a thumb knob 18 adjacent the end of the lever. The lever may be oscillated with reference to the plate and may be guided during such movement by curved guides 19 and 20 respectively which are disposed above and below the lever.

To support a section of the packing material indicated at A in Fig. 1, I have illustrated a supporting guide 21 which is arranged to engage the periphery of the section A in two places, as at 22 and 23 respectively. The position of the guide 21 is so determined that the center of the arcuate convex lap joint edge B is coincident with the axis of the pivot 14. Moreover the section is so positioned on the plate that the edge B is placed a slight distance beyond the arcuate edge of a template 25. This template embodies preferably a thin strip of metal which fits at one end into a recess 26, and at the other end into a recess 27 in the plate. More over, dowel pins 28 in the template may enter either holes 29 or holes 34 to position and to hold the template in a desired location with reference to the plate.

The template as indicated, has an arcuate edge 30, which is described about the axis of the pivot 14, and has another edge 31, the radius of which is determined as will be hereinafter set forth.

Assuming now that the convex lap joint surface of the section A is to be recut then the template 25 is placed in the position shown in Fig. 1, while the section is also placed in the position shown in Fig. l. Thereupon clamping bars 32 and 33 are tightened to hold the section firmly in position. Then the cutter 15 is moved along the feed screw until. a slight amount of metal onthe edge B will be removed when the lever is swung from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. The lever is then oscillated and the cutter is advanced slightly on each oscillation until the cutter engages the outer edge 30 on the template. This limits the depth of the cutting operation. Thereupon the section of packing is removed and the template is lifted out of the recess and is placed in the position shown in Fig. 2 where the dowel pins 28 engage holes 34. In this position the inner edge 31 of the template will comprise an arc, the center of which is coincident with the axis of the pivot 14:. Before the template is in the Fig. 2 position, however, the cutter is advanced along the feed screw to provide suflicient clearance for the template and to bring the cutter inside the inner edge 31 of the template. Thereupon the section A is turned around merely by rotating it until the edge C is then near the edge 31 of the template and until the outer periphery engages the support 21*. This support is similar to that indicated at 21 in that it engages the periphery of the section in two places. Clamping bars 32 and 33 are then tightened to hold the section firmly in place.

'Moreover a cam-shaped plate 36 may be employed for holding the edge G from springing during the cutting operation. Thereafter the lever is swung back and forth and the cutter is adjusted until the edge 0 is trued to the desired degree.

This completes the truing operation for the lap joint of one section. The cooperating section is thentreated in the same man ner.

After the lap joints on the cooperating sections have been trued up, then they are placed within a mold and compressed until the inside diameter of the ring is formed to the desired size. Thereafter, the sections are engaged by radially movable clamping aws, and are held together sutliciently tight that the mold may be employed as a chuck in a lathe for enabling the rings to be bored and turned to the desired size.

The preferred form of mold construction embodies a casing 40 which is threaded internally as at 41 to fit a lathe spindle, and which has an enlarged. recess 42. A wall of this recess is shown as having an annular taper 13 which provides a shoulder against which the tapered edges D of the sections may engage. Beyond the tapered wall, I have shown spaced jaws 44.- which are readily adjustable to permit engagement with the sections for holdingthem in the desired position.

In the center of the'sections in the mold casing I have shown a centering plug 45 which may engage the internally threaded portion, and I have also shown abushing ltl which surrounds a portion of the plug and is removable from the mold. This bushing functions to insure proper centering of the sections within the casing and enables the center plug to be readily removed.

To compress the rings I have indicated a yoke 4-7 which is threaded to receive a threaded spindle 48, the inner end of which carries a cross piece 19, while the outer end carries a handle 50.

The sections to be trued are placed together within the mold after the plug and bushing have been centered and then the handle 50 is turned to force the cross piece against the fiat edge of the ring and thereby to compress the metal against the tapered wall. 43 and also against the outer cylindrical wall of the bushing. While the ring is thus held, the jaws 44 are individually tightened, whereupon the pressure on the cross piece is released, the yoke is removed, the plug and bushing are removed, and then the casing or mold may be transferred from the bed plate to a lathe and attached to a lathe spindle. Thereafter the ring may be bored and turned to the proper size.

By treating metallic packing in accordance with the method set forth herein, I have been able to reclaim an exceptionally large percentage of material which heretofore has been regarded as worthless. Moreover, I have provided a method, which may be carried out by means of comparatively inexpensive apparatus. This apparatus may be operated to treat packing rings of various range of sizes, merely by varying the size of some of the supports, and also varying the shape of the template which is used during the first operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine for reclaiming metallic ring packing the combination with a support, of means for adjustably positioning a section of ring packing upon the support, other means for cutting the ring, said last mentioned means including an arm operable upon a curved path the center of which is eccentric to the center of the ring section.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising in combination, means for supporting and clamping a metallic packing ring section in stationary position, a cutter pivotally mounted on the support and ad" justable towardand away from the pivotal connection, the axis of the pivot being e centric to the center of the ring section, whereby operation of the cutter will engage the section along an arcuate path.

3. In combination, a support, means associated with the support for engaging the periphery of a metallic packing ring section, other means for engaging the top of th section and clamping it in stationary position upon the support, a lever pivotally mounted on the support on an axis eccentric to the center of the section, a cutter carried by the lever for engaging the section, and

means for adjusting the cutter along the lever.

4. A machine for reclaiming metallic ring packing comprising in combination, means including a plate for supporting and clamping a section of ring packing, an arm pir otally mounted on the plate, a cutter carried by the arm and a template disposed beneath the section, and functioning to limit the cutting depth of the cutter.

5. In a machine for reclaiming metallic ring packing, the combination with a base adapted for supporting a section of packing, a plurality of jaws adapted to engage the outer side and top respectively of the sections, a lever pivotally mounted on the baseon an axis eccentric to the center of said section, a cutter adjustable longitudinally of the lever and a template mounted between the lever and section and disposed in the path of the cutter, and functioning to limit the depth of cut upon the section, said template having arcuate concave and convex parallel guiding edges and being adapted to be shifted upon the base to bring the center of curvature of either edge coincident with the axis of the lever pivot.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afliX my signature.

JOHN G. KELLY. 

